by Dr031718 » Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:07 am
Five Years Later, He Faces The Music In The Pasquale's Rigoletto Sting Operation
Pasquale's RigolettoGang Land Exclusive!Three months ago, it looked like Laurence (Keith) Allen, the last defendant in the case of 46 mobsters and associates who were snared in an FBI sting at a popular Bronx Italian restaurant owned by a Genovese capo, had pulled off a crafty move that would save him a long stretch behind bars. The move seemed out of the playbook that Gambino mobster Charles Carneglia used after John Gotti won an acquittal of racketeering and murder back in 1987.
Not that Allen is in Carneglia's league. Keith, 44, is a small fry in the 2016 case, one that was marred by so many allegations of wrongdoing by FBI agents and their main snitch, John (J.R) Rubeo, that most defendants, even Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino, got lenient plea deals. On April 19, Allen quietly pleaded guilty to a minor gambling charge, with a possible maximum prison term of one year in prison.
Even so, the feds haven't treated Allen, an employee of a legalized gambling company in Costa Rica where he's lived for 20 years, and who was a minor, non-violent player in the case, as well as they treated mobster Carneglia. When the gangster showed up after two years on the lam — a month after Gotti's stunning courtroom victory, the feds dropped all charges, and he skated free.
The feds did allow Allen to plead guilty to a misdemeanor — he is the only defendant who didn't plead guilty to a felony. But they're asking for a prison term of up to six months, even though five days was the longest term that any of 14 mob associates who pleaded guilty to felony illegal gambling charges served. And one of them, Allen's lawyer noted, Daniel Marino Jr, the son of a powerful Gambino capo, received probation, which is what probation officials recommend for Allen.
IJohn Rubeon asking Manhattan Federal Judge Richard Sullivan to follow the Probation Department's lead, Allen's lawyer noted that he is not accused of being a mob associate, that his crime is less serious than any of his codefendants. She added that Allen "could not have been extradited from Costa Rica" but still chose to "resolve the charges" and "accept responsibility for his misconduct."
According to the charges, Allen flew to New York in December of 2012 where he gave Rubeo "an electronic device." This enabled the informer, then working as a runner tasked with paying off winners and collecting from losing gamblers to call his company, Costa Rican International Sportsbook (CRIS), to carry out his assignments without fear of being wiretapped by the feds. Allen confessed to all that to Sullivan when he pleaded guilty in April.
"Since the time of his offense," defense attorney Danya Perry wrote in her sentencing memo, "he has been employed in lawful meaningful jobs" and worked hard to raise his two young special needs sons." She wrote that her client "assures the court that he will continue forward on the lawful and productive path he has since chosen for himself."
Judge Richard SullivanDue to the hardship that "quarantining could create for his children" if Allen were required to travel back and forth from Costa Rica to New York for sentencing, Sullivan agreed to his lawyer's unopposed request to be sentenced remotely through a Zoom proceeding next week. Allen has forfeited $300,000 in gambling earnings as part of his plea agreement.
"For himself and for his children, who will learn from their father,'" the lawyer wrote, "Allen felt that he must admit his guilt in order to move forward towards his productive future as a dedicated father."
"An important principle in his household is to admit when one has done something wrong," Perry wrote, noting that while it may seem like a "simple concept," it has helped Allen, a single parent help teach his two sons, who are autistic and attend special schools, "right from wrong."
"The most difficult thing that Mr. Allen has ever done," the attorney wrote, "is tell his older son that he has committed criminal conduct, that he has pled guilty to this conduct, and that he faces the possibility of a (prison term) as the result of his own poor choices. He plans to tell his younger son when his son is older and better equipped to process this difficult information."
Danya PerryAllen is the "sole provider" for the boys because their mother "is unable to provide significant assistance or support" for them, as "Allen confided long ago to (Rubeo) in a recorded conversation" during the months that he was in New York, Perry wrote.
For their part, prosecutors concede Allen "is among the least culpable of the 46 defendants." They acknowledge that his "conduct within Costa Rica was lawful, and that his unlawful conduct (in the U.S.) was relatively brief," and that Allen "did not agree to use violence or extortion in connection with gambling." They also noted that "his criminal conduct ended in 2013" and he is "the primary caregiver to two special-needs children."
But prosecutors Abigail Kurland and Jonathan Rebold say that while Allen himself was not involved in any violence, the "case has revealed the inherent and physical dangers associated with unlawful gambling businesses." They point out that "many of Allen's confederates frequently resorted to threats of violence — both implicit and explicit — to resolve debts."
Pasquale ParrelloThey also noted that Allen's codefendant, John (Tugboat) Tognino, worked as an "agent" or "pay-and-collect guy" for CRIS in New York and that Allen had instructed both Tognino and Rubeo to use a "media player" to call CRIS and make sure "the media player's GPS was turned off" so the feds would be unable to track or trace the calls.
And while the Probation Department recommended "one year probation" for various reasons including "the need for Allen to be available to care for his children," the prosecutors wrote that a sentence of "zero to six months is warranted" in order "to provide just punishment, to promote respect for the law, and to deter the defendant and others from future unlawful conduct."
On Allen's behalf, Perry noted that Tognino, who had many convictions for illegal gambling in New York, New Jersey and Florida over the years, and has had many associates who allegedly "resorted to threats of violence" and "extortionate conduct," had received a "time served" sentence of one day behind bars and six months of home detention.
In the unlikely event that Allen is sentenced to prison, he will join Pasquale (Patsy) Parrello, the only other defendant in the case who is still behind bars. The Genovese wiseguy whose legendary Arthur Avenue eatery, Pasquale's Rigoletto, was the focal point of the five year long undercover operation, is slated to be released in July of next year. Parrello, 77, is already eligible for placement into a halfway house, and could be released much sooner.
Mob-Connected Serbian-American Gang Leader Set For A Long Haul Behind Bars
Mileta MiljanicIt looks like Mileta (Michael Michael) Miljanic, the reputed leader of Grupo Amerika, a violent Serbian-American organized crime gang who is also a longtime Gambino crime family associate allegedly involved in construction industry racketeering, will be behind bars for the long haul.
Miljanic, who was detained when he was arrested on gun charges in February, has lost an appeal for his release on bail as he awaits trial on a federal weapons charge in Brooklyn that seems like an open and shut case. Federal investigators found a semi-automatic handgun in his nightstand during a court-authorized search of his apartment.
And there's more to come. As he cools his heels at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Miljanic, 61, also awaits an expected racketeering charge against him in Manhattan Federal Court as part of an alleged wide-ranging construction industry scheme operated by Gambino capo Louis Filippelli.
Brooklyn Federal Judge LaShann Dearcy Hall ruled that prosecutors established that Miljanic, a convicted felon who is banned from possessing a pistol and who had run out on a prison term in Italy, was both a "danger to the community" and "posed a significant flight risk" to abscond to Serbia, where he is a citizen and where his wife and children moved after his arrest.
Judge LaShann Dearcy HallIn a decision earlier this month, Judge Dearcy Hall rejected Miljanic's latest bid to get out of jail pending trial. Michael Michael (like the Goodfellas character his name is said twice) offered what he termed a "new" $1 million bond. The bond, importantly, according to his lawyer, was secured by properties owned by entities over which neither he nor his relatives had control. Miljanic also agreed to be extradited from Serbia in the "implausible event" that he fled there, would guarantee his appearance in court as well as the safety of the community.
Noting that Miljanic's prior conviction was 35 years ago, attorney Lawrence DiGiansante argued that the proposed bail package was "more than sufficient to reasonably assure the safety of the community and the integrity" of the proceedings in both courts. The lawyer added that Miljanic "and his family are committed to remain in this country and fight the allegations against him."
Prosecutors Mathew Miller and Kayla Bensing countered that Michael Michael had "close ties to senior members" of the Gambino crime family, including the 54-year-old Filippelli.The feds also pointed out that following Miljanic's arrest, "his wife and daughter flew to Serbia" and joined "one of the defendant's sons there. " The family remains there, prosecutors said.
Louis FilippelliIn addition, the prosecutors wrote, Miljanic "has ready access to millions of dollars" that he could use to finance his departure from the U.S. Those funds, the prosecutors wrote, "flow through his and his family's construction companies." Those companies "are under investigation" by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, which is looking into construction industry racketeering schemes throughout the metropolitan area by the Gambino crime family.
Miller and Bensing wrote that the Manhattan investigation concerns allegations that the Gambino family obtained "large construction contracts through illicit means and the use of construction companies, like the ones owned by the defendant, to launder money obtained through various illegal activities," including bribery, fraud, bid-rigging and extortion.
The Manhattan probe led to racketeering and bribery charges last fall against 11 current and former officials of two plumbers unions, including James Cahill, a former plumbers union official and the then-head of New York's Building and Construction Trades Council.
James CahillIn December, federal prosecutors in Manhattan identified Miljanic as the leader of a violent gang known as Grupo Amerika. They also linked Michael Michael to racketeering activity with Cahill and Filippelli through numerous sightings with the men as well as a tape-recorded talk that Cahill had last year with a cooperating witness.
In a court filing, prosecutors wrote that the former union leader was overheard stating that he got Filippelli "to intervene to address a death threat" against a Cahill nephew. The nephew had been involved in a building project with a Miljanic construction company and was threatened after he had a falling out with the Serbian gangster.
After Filippelli resolved his nephew's problem, the Gambino wiseguy and the Serbian gangster joined forces, according to what Cahill allegedly told a wired-up confidential informer last year. "So what does Louis do?" Cahill recalled on March 13, 2020: "He goes partners with Michael Michael in the construction business, and they're happy as pigs in shit."
Last week, after Bensing stated she would soon turn over "discovery material" that Manhattan federal prosecutors had picked up about Miljanic in their investigation, Judge Dearcy Hall agreed to a joint request to put the case off until October 20 to give the defense an opportunity to examine the material and time to discuss a possible plea deal with the government.
The next court session in the Manhattan case is slated to take place a month earlier, on September 21.
Married, With Conflicts: She's The Top Prosecutor, He's The Defense Lawyer. Solution? Manhattan Feds Take Over The Lottery Case
Jacquelyn KasulisThe Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office took over the prosecution yesterday of the alleged $100 million ripoff of three Lottery winners by a pair of mob-tied defendants who are charged with getting expertise and assistance from the self-described Lottery Lawyer, Jason (Jay) Kurland.
The Lottery schemers case was bounced across the river to prosecutors in Manhattan by the their counterparts in Brooklyn due to a conflict of interest between Kurland's attorney and the acting U.S Attorney in the borough of churches. The conflict in question stems from the fact that Kurland's lawyer, Telemachus (Tim) Kasulis, is married to the acting chief of the Brooklyn office, Jacquelyn Kasulis.
During a brief status conference at which prosecutors informed the court about the move, attorney Kasulis took a parting shot at his wife's office regarding the slow moving production of discovery material from numerous phones and other electronic devices that were seized in the huge fraud and money laundering case that was filed last August.
"I do anticipate filing a motion about this if the government cannot finish its electronic review within a reasonable amount of time," Kasulis told Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis during the court session conducted via videoconference.
Telemachus Kasulis"They have had these devices for almost a year already and every time we bring up the ongoing problem we get the same answer from the government," the lawyer stated after assistant U.S. attorney Lauren Elbert stated that prosecutors knew their obligations and were up to speed on them.
The judge didn't seem too fazed by the lawyer's complaint, which Kasulis has raised at every court proceeding that Gang Land has covered. "I'm sure I will hear from you presently," said Garaufis.
AUSA Elbert began the session by introducing Manhattan federal prosecutor Olga Zverovich to the court, stating that she, and her office, would be taking over the case because last month "Jackie Kasulis became the acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn) and she is married to Tim Kasulis."
Ebert indicated that Jackie Kasulis, the former chief of the EDNY's criminal division has been recused from the Lottery case since day one, but now that she heads the entire office, the government decided to transfer the case from Brooklyn to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office.
After welcoming AUSA Zverovich "to Brooklyn," the Judge ordered lawyers and the government to file their pretrial motions over the next several months and scheduled oral arguments for December 16.
Jason KurlandAttorney Kasulis also had a difference of opinion with co-counsel Gerald McMahon, the attorney for Genovese wiseguy Christopher Chierchio, regarding the start of a trial, which prosecutors told the court will take, conservatively speaking, at least four weeks because of the numerous wiretapped talks that they expect to play.
Kasulis asked Garaufis to set a trial date for the beginning of next year because Kurland "wishes to proceed to trial in this case as soon as possible."
"The beginning of next year is an unrealistic request due to the amount of discovery and the motions that are just being prepared," said McMahon, stating that "the spring of next year" is a more reasonable time to schedule a trial.
As they await trial, Chierchio, 53, and Kurland, 47, are each released on bonds secured by property.
Attorney Florian Meidel, who was recently assigned by Garaufis to represent the only defendant who is behind bars, Frangesco (Frankie) Russo, the 39-year-old grandson of acting Colombo boss Andrew (Mush) Russo, reserved his opinion about a good time to start trial.
As Gang Land has reported, Russo's longtime business partner Francis (Frank) Smookler pleaded guilty in March to stealing $45.6 million in winnings from three Lottery winners during an elaborate 18-month scheme and has agreed to testify for the government in return for leniency at the time he is sentenced.
Five Years Later, He Faces The Music In The Pasquale's Rigoletto Sting Operation
Pasquale's RigolettoGang Land Exclusive!Three months ago, it looked like Laurence (Keith) Allen, the last defendant in the case of 46 mobsters and associates who were snared in an FBI sting at a popular Bronx Italian restaurant owned by a Genovese capo, had pulled off a crafty move that would save him a long stretch behind bars. The move seemed out of the playbook that Gambino mobster Charles Carneglia used after John Gotti won an acquittal of racketeering and murder back in 1987.
Not that Allen is in Carneglia's league. Keith, 44, is a small fry in the 2016 case, one that was marred by so many allegations of wrongdoing by FBI agents and their main snitch, John (J.R) Rubeo, that most defendants, even Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino, got lenient plea deals. On April 19, Allen quietly pleaded guilty to a minor gambling charge, with a possible maximum prison term of one year in prison.
Even so, the feds haven't treated Allen, an employee of a legalized gambling company in Costa Rica where he's lived for 20 years, and who was a minor, non-violent player in the case, as well as they treated mobster Carneglia. When the gangster showed up after two years on the lam — a month after Gotti's stunning courtroom victory, the feds dropped all charges, and he skated free.
The feds did allow Allen to plead guilty to a misdemeanor — he is the only defendant who didn't plead guilty to a felony. But they're asking for a prison term of up to six months, even though five days was the longest term that any of 14 mob associates who pleaded guilty to felony illegal gambling charges served. And one of them, Allen's lawyer noted, Daniel Marino Jr, the son of a powerful Gambino capo, received probation, which is what probation officials recommend for Allen.
IJohn Rubeon asking Manhattan Federal Judge Richard Sullivan to follow the Probation Department's lead, Allen's lawyer noted that he is not accused of being a mob associate, that his crime is less serious than any of his codefendants. She added that Allen "could not have been extradited from Costa Rica" but still chose to "resolve the charges" and "accept responsibility for his misconduct."
According to the charges, Allen flew to New York in December of 2012 where he gave Rubeo "an electronic device." This enabled the informer, then working as a runner tasked with paying off winners and collecting from losing gamblers to call his company, Costa Rican International Sportsbook (CRIS), to carry out his assignments without fear of being wiretapped by the feds. Allen confessed to all that to Sullivan when he pleaded guilty in April.
"Since the time of his offense," defense attorney Danya Perry wrote in her sentencing memo, "he has been employed in lawful meaningful jobs" and worked hard to raise his two young special needs sons." She wrote that her client "assures the court that he will continue forward on the lawful and productive path he has since chosen for himself."
Judge Richard SullivanDue to the hardship that "quarantining could create for his children" if Allen were required to travel back and forth from Costa Rica to New York for sentencing, Sullivan agreed to his lawyer's unopposed request to be sentenced remotely through a Zoom proceeding next week. Allen has forfeited $300,000 in gambling earnings as part of his plea agreement.
"For himself and for his children, who will learn from their father,'" the lawyer wrote, "Allen felt that he must admit his guilt in order to move forward towards his productive future as a dedicated father."
"An important principle in his household is to admit when one has done something wrong," Perry wrote, noting that while it may seem like a "simple concept," it has helped Allen, a single parent help teach his two sons, who are autistic and attend special schools, "right from wrong."
"The most difficult thing that Mr. Allen has ever done," the attorney wrote, "is tell his older son that he has committed criminal conduct, that he has pled guilty to this conduct, and that he faces the possibility of a (prison term) as the result of his own poor choices. He plans to tell his younger son when his son is older and better equipped to process this difficult information."
Danya PerryAllen is the "sole provider" for the boys because their mother "is unable to provide significant assistance or support" for them, as "Allen confided long ago to (Rubeo) in a recorded conversation" during the months that he was in New York, Perry wrote.
For their part, prosecutors concede Allen "is among the least culpable of the 46 defendants." They acknowledge that his "conduct within Costa Rica was lawful, and that his unlawful conduct (in the U.S.) was relatively brief," and that Allen "did not agree to use violence or extortion in connection with gambling." They also noted that "his criminal conduct ended in 2013" and he is "the primary caregiver to two special-needs children."
But prosecutors Abigail Kurland and Jonathan Rebold say that while Allen himself was not involved in any violence, the "case has revealed the inherent and physical dangers associated with unlawful gambling businesses." They point out that "many of Allen's confederates frequently resorted to threats of violence — both implicit and explicit — to resolve debts."
Pasquale ParrelloThey also noted that Allen's codefendant, John (Tugboat) Tognino, worked as an "agent" or "pay-and-collect guy" for CRIS in New York and that Allen had instructed both Tognino and Rubeo to use a "media player" to call CRIS and make sure "the media player's GPS was turned off" so the feds would be unable to track or trace the calls.
And while the Probation Department recommended "one year probation" for various reasons including "the need for Allen to be available to care for his children," the prosecutors wrote that a sentence of "zero to six months is warranted" in order "to provide just punishment, to promote respect for the law, and to deter the defendant and others from future unlawful conduct."
On Allen's behalf, Perry noted that Tognino, who had many convictions for illegal gambling in New York, New Jersey and Florida over the years, and has had many associates who allegedly "resorted to threats of violence" and "extortionate conduct," had received a "time served" sentence of one day behind bars and six months of home detention.
In the unlikely event that Allen is sentenced to prison, he will join Pasquale (Patsy) Parrello, the only other defendant in the case who is still behind bars. The Genovese wiseguy whose legendary Arthur Avenue eatery, Pasquale's Rigoletto, was the focal point of the five year long undercover operation, is slated to be released in July of next year. Parrello, 77, is already eligible for placement into a halfway house, and could be released much sooner.
Mob-Connected Serbian-American Gang Leader Set For A Long Haul Behind Bars
Mileta MiljanicIt looks like Mileta (Michael Michael) Miljanic, the reputed leader of Grupo Amerika, a violent Serbian-American organized crime gang who is also a longtime Gambino crime family associate allegedly involved in construction industry racketeering, will be behind bars for the long haul.
Miljanic, who was detained when he was arrested on gun charges in February, has lost an appeal for his release on bail as he awaits trial on a federal weapons charge in Brooklyn that seems like an open and shut case. Federal investigators found a semi-automatic handgun in his nightstand during a court-authorized search of his apartment.
And there's more to come. As he cools his heels at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Miljanic, 61, also awaits an expected racketeering charge against him in Manhattan Federal Court as part of an alleged wide-ranging construction industry scheme operated by Gambino capo Louis Filippelli.
Brooklyn Federal Judge LaShann Dearcy Hall ruled that prosecutors established that Miljanic, a convicted felon who is banned from possessing a pistol and who had run out on a prison term in Italy, was both a "danger to the community" and "posed a significant flight risk" to abscond to Serbia, where he is a citizen and where his wife and children moved after his arrest.
Judge LaShann Dearcy HallIn a decision earlier this month, Judge Dearcy Hall rejected Miljanic's latest bid to get out of jail pending trial. Michael Michael (like the Goodfellas character his name is said twice) offered what he termed a "new" $1 million bond. The bond, importantly, according to his lawyer, was secured by properties owned by entities over which neither he nor his relatives had control. Miljanic also agreed to be extradited from Serbia in the "implausible event" that he fled there, would guarantee his appearance in court as well as the safety of the community.
Noting that Miljanic's prior conviction was 35 years ago, attorney Lawrence DiGiansante argued that the proposed bail package was "more than sufficient to reasonably assure the safety of the community and the integrity" of the proceedings in both courts. The lawyer added that Miljanic "and his family are committed to remain in this country and fight the allegations against him."
Prosecutors Mathew Miller and Kayla Bensing countered that Michael Michael had "close ties to senior members" of the Gambino crime family, including the 54-year-old Filippelli.The feds also pointed out that following Miljanic's arrest, "his wife and daughter flew to Serbia" and joined "one of the defendant's sons there. " The family remains there, prosecutors said.
Louis FilippelliIn addition, the prosecutors wrote, Miljanic "has ready access to millions of dollars" that he could use to finance his departure from the U.S. Those funds, the prosecutors wrote, "flow through his and his family's construction companies." Those companies "are under investigation" by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office, which is looking into construction industry racketeering schemes throughout the metropolitan area by the Gambino crime family.
Miller and Bensing wrote that the Manhattan investigation concerns allegations that the Gambino family obtained "large construction contracts through illicit means and the use of construction companies, like the ones owned by the defendant, to launder money obtained through various illegal activities," including bribery, fraud, bid-rigging and extortion.
The Manhattan probe led to racketeering and bribery charges last fall against 11 current and former officials of two plumbers unions, including James Cahill, a former plumbers union official and the then-head of New York's Building and Construction Trades Council.
James CahillIn December, federal prosecutors in Manhattan identified Miljanic as the leader of a violent gang known as Grupo Amerika. They also linked Michael Michael to racketeering activity with Cahill and Filippelli through numerous sightings with the men as well as a tape-recorded talk that Cahill had last year with a cooperating witness.
In a court filing, prosecutors wrote that the former union leader was overheard stating that he got Filippelli "to intervene to address a death threat" against a Cahill nephew. The nephew had been involved in a building project with a Miljanic construction company and was threatened after he had a falling out with the Serbian gangster.
After Filippelli resolved his nephew's problem, the Gambino wiseguy and the Serbian gangster joined forces, according to what Cahill allegedly told a wired-up confidential informer last year. "So what does Louis do?" Cahill recalled on March 13, 2020: "He goes partners with Michael Michael in the construction business, and they're happy as pigs in shit."
Last week, after Bensing stated she would soon turn over "discovery material" that Manhattan federal prosecutors had picked up about Miljanic in their investigation, Judge Dearcy Hall agreed to a joint request to put the case off until October 20 to give the defense an opportunity to examine the material and time to discuss a possible plea deal with the government.
The next court session in the Manhattan case is slated to take place a month earlier, on September 21.
Married, With Conflicts: She's The Top Prosecutor, He's The Defense Lawyer. Solution? Manhattan Feds Take Over The Lottery Case
Jacquelyn KasulisThe Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office took over the prosecution yesterday of the alleged $100 million ripoff of three Lottery winners by a pair of mob-tied defendants who are charged with getting expertise and assistance from the self-described Lottery Lawyer, Jason (Jay) Kurland.
The Lottery schemers case was bounced across the river to prosecutors in Manhattan by the their counterparts in Brooklyn due to a conflict of interest between Kurland's attorney and the acting U.S Attorney in the borough of churches. The conflict in question stems from the fact that Kurland's lawyer, Telemachus (Tim) Kasulis, is married to the acting chief of the Brooklyn office, Jacquelyn Kasulis.
During a brief status conference at which prosecutors informed the court about the move, attorney Kasulis took a parting shot at his wife's office regarding the slow moving production of discovery material from numerous phones and other electronic devices that were seized in the huge fraud and money laundering case that was filed last August.
"I do anticipate filing a motion about this if the government cannot finish its electronic review within a reasonable amount of time," Kasulis told Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis during the court session conducted via videoconference.
Telemachus Kasulis"They have had these devices for almost a year already and every time we bring up the ongoing problem we get the same answer from the government," the lawyer stated after assistant U.S. attorney Lauren Elbert stated that prosecutors knew their obligations and were up to speed on them.
The judge didn't seem too fazed by the lawyer's complaint, which Kasulis has raised at every court proceeding that Gang Land has covered. "I'm sure I will hear from you presently," said Garaufis.
AUSA Elbert began the session by introducing Manhattan federal prosecutor Olga Zverovich to the court, stating that she, and her office, would be taking over the case because last month "Jackie Kasulis became the acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn) and she is married to Tim Kasulis."
Ebert indicated that Jackie Kasulis, the former chief of the EDNY's criminal division has been recused from the Lottery case since day one, but now that she heads the entire office, the government decided to transfer the case from Brooklyn to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office.
After welcoming AUSA Zverovich "to Brooklyn," the Judge ordered lawyers and the government to file their pretrial motions over the next several months and scheduled oral arguments for December 16.
Jason KurlandAttorney Kasulis also had a difference of opinion with co-counsel Gerald McMahon, the attorney for Genovese wiseguy Christopher Chierchio, regarding the start of a trial, which prosecutors told the court will take, conservatively speaking, at least four weeks because of the numerous wiretapped talks that they expect to play.
Kasulis asked Garaufis to set a trial date for the beginning of next year because Kurland "wishes to proceed to trial in this case as soon as possible."
"The beginning of next year is an unrealistic request due to the amount of discovery and the motions that are just being prepared," said McMahon, stating that "the spring of next year" is a more reasonable time to schedule a trial.
As they await trial, Chierchio, 53, and Kurland, 47, are each released on bonds secured by property.
Attorney Florian Meidel, who was recently assigned by Garaufis to represent the only defendant who is behind bars, Frangesco (Frankie) Russo, the 39-year-old grandson of acting Colombo boss Andrew (Mush) Russo, reserved his opinion about a good time to start trial.
As Gang Land has reported, Russo's longtime business partner Francis (Frank) Smookler pleaded guilty in March to stealing $45.6 million in winnings from three Lottery winners during an elaborate 18-month scheme and has agreed to testify for the government in return for leniency at the time he is sentenced.